Courtney announces $200,000 EPA grant for Town of Plainfield to move ahead with assessment of former InterRoyal site

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Joe Courtney today announced that the Town of Plainfield secured a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete the environmental assessment of the former InterRoyal site. In January, Congressman Courtney wrote to the EPA in support of the Town's grant application, saying, in part:

"The site represents a major source of blight for the Village Center of Plainfield and has been identified in the Plan of Conservation and Development as the main project to be completed that will lead to other investments in the Village Center. The 16-acre site holds significant threats to public health as the brooks that pass through the site have been identified with groundwater contamination with chromium, nickel, SVOCs and chlorinated VOCs. The remaining buildings on the site have been identified with asbestos, mercury and lead-based paint."

On December 11, 2012, EPA Regional Administrator Curt Spalding met with Congressman Courtney and Plainfield First Selectman Paul Sweet—a meeting arranged by Rep. Courtney—to discuss the status of brownfield remediation in the Town. The Town and Rep. Courtney expressed their appreciation for the EPA's role in remediating the larger site to that point, and they conveyed to Administrator Spalding the importance of remediating the InterRoyal site.

"Today's announcement is tremendous news for the Town of Plainfield," said Congressman Courtney. "I expect this assessment grant will jumpstart redevelopment of the InterRoyal site and surrounding area, which, because of the existing environmental hazards, have not been able to foster economic growth for nearly 20 years. First Selectman Paul Sweet and his team deserve great credit for sticking with this project and securing the necessary funding in a tight funding environment."

"We worked so hard and the efforts of so many people will now allow important work to be done to get a thorough assessment of the site," said Plainfield First Selectman Paul Sweet. "Once the assets and liabilities of the site have been identified, the property can be marketed with a true analysis in hand of the cost to clean up and redevelop this important piece of industrial property."